Protecting our coast from flooding and coastal erosion

How our coast is defended

The coastline between Brighton Marina and the River Adur in Shoreham features one of the country’s most iconic tourist beaches. 

Our coastline is currently defended by:

• Brighton & Hove’s beaches, which are the primary form of protection from coastal flooding and erosion
• chalk cliffs, such as the Undercliff Walk
• sea walls
• timber groynes 

Installing new timber Groynes along Kings Esplanade

As part of the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme, we will remove the old timber groynes and replace them with new ones which extend further out to sea.

We’ll then add thousands of tonnes of shingle between the groynes to widen the beach, creating more space for people to sit, walk and enjoy. 

The new beach will help:

• absorb wave energy, reducing the risk of flooding and erosion to nearby homes and businesses
• reduce ‘overtopping’ where stones are washed up onto the Esplanade

The construction of the new timber groynes is scheduled to begin in autumn 2025 and will take around 7 months to complete.

Shingle will then be delivered by barge and pumped between the groynes over a 4-week period.

Work is scheduled to finish around June 2026.

Watch the video below to learn more about the new groyne field.

Kings Esplanade sea defences planning approval

The Kings Esplanade sea defences project is subject to planning approval. 

Find and comment on the planning application.

Wider project

The work is part of a long-term project, called the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme.

It aims to improve our coastal defences along a 10km stretch between Brighton Marina and the River Adur, working in partnership with:

• Adur District Council
• Shoreham Port
• the Environment Agency
• the Western Esplanade Management Company

The aim and benefits of the scheme

The Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme aims to:

• improve our coastal defences
• reduce the risk of long-term (1 in 200 years) flood and erosion risk

The scheme will have significant local benefits including avoiding the loss of:

• residential properties
• commercial properties, including Shoreham Sewage Pumping Station and Shoreham Power Station

Learn more about the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy.

What’s been done so far

The following actions have been completed:

• a series of investigations to improve our understanding of the area
• a survey of the flood and coastal erosion risk management structures to determine their condition
• a review of up-to-date information on waves, water levels and beach surveys to assess how the coastline behaves and to predict how it may evolve
• a Strategic Environmental Assessment to collate baseline information on the natural and built environment

Work has already been done to build 2 rock armour revetments, a protective layer of rock, adjacent to Basin Road South. A new sea wall has also been built near the Hove Deep Sea Anglers Club.

Shingle recycling and renourishment

Wave movement shifts sand and shingle east from Shoreham Port towards Brighton Marina. 

This is a process known as ‘longshore drift’.

Each year, we move an average of 16,000 metres cubed of shingle back from around the Marina to beaches further west and at Shoreham Port.

Watch the video below to learn more about shingle recycling.